A/HRC/44/50/Add.3 Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict Ratified 22 May 2013 None Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography Ratified 14 February 2012 None Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Ratified Sept 2013 None 22. It is important to observe that even the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Professor Hilal Elver, on her visit to Zimbabwe between 18 and 28 November 2019, acknowledged the safeguard of fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as the robustness of remedies in their protection and promotion through a meticulous set of human rights based laws and the Constitution. 23. The Special Rapporteur also failed to acknowledge Zimbabwe’s commitment to the regional human rights mechanisms. For instance, Zimbabwe was recently reviewed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in November 2019, and to this end, the Government of Zimbabwe is up to date with its obligations under the ACHPR. 24. Zimbabwe has also responded timeously to the communications from the various regional and international human rights mechanisms. Examples of communications responded to by the Government of Zimbabwe whose subject matters related to issues raised by the Special Rapporteur were received between April and May 2019 and they are as follows: (a) Communications by the HRC Special Procedure Mandate Holders Regarding Allegations of Violent Repression and Excessive Use of Force in the 14-16 January 2019 demonstrations; (b) Letter of appeal from the ACHPR Country Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe regarding the allegations of violent suppression of protests, extra-judicial killings and the shutting down of the internet on 15-17 January 2019; (c) ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa regarding the Situation of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in the Republic of Zimbabwe; and (d) Letters of Appeal from the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on reprisals in Africa with regards to allegations of Arbitrary Detention of Human Rights Defender Mr. Rashid Mahiya; arbitrary arrest and judicial harassment against Mr. Okay Machisa and Mr. Evan Mawarire. III. The exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly A. Legal framework 25. The Special Rapporteur raised concerns pertaining to what he refers to as “… the restrictive provisions contained in the legislation … (and) … regrets that it was adopted without taking due consideration of them” in respect of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MPOA). However, when the Special Rapporteur met the Honourable Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs during the period of his mission visit, it was explained to him that the enactment of the MPOA was a bipartisan process in both Houses of Parliament, namely, the National Assembly and the Senate. 7